It Came From the Grove

III.

Once a night every week, the creature would return to the edge of the forest to gaze down at the town. Using the night as a cloak, it watched as one would observe a colony of ants wandering in a formulated line from their home. While the town moved on without disturbance, it could still hear the cacophony of people conversing, deciphering what the words meant but only comprehending few.

It thought with vain scenarios of how all could've been different. Of how the creature could've been welcomed into the people's society, and be loved. To partake in the comfort of solicitude from beings who would understand and appreciate it. To be amongst others who were like the creature. Yet the memory of the green-eyed man would continue to invade the creature's thoughts, and would strike away all possibilities of ever being loved. The night the man attacked the creature, it tried to speak, but lacked the speech to persuade those around it. His jumbled cacophony was mistaken as a threat, and a roar mistaken as a lion ready to pounce. It loathed its deformity, and so slithered back into the dark woods where it would return for the next 3 years to the edge of the forest in hope that a wandering traveler would behold the creature, and welcome it without fear.

On a Somor day, after the night the creature returned from the town to lament its solitude, the creature slept in the deepest part of the cavern. While all was silent, there came a boy who wandered aimlessly through the forest without directions. He carried with him a rugged satchel that hung over his shoulder. His brown hair glistening from the sun that shone, eyes darting everywhere like a child witnessing new things for the first time. It was as if he was entering into a new world, and he was its first explorer. Despite his coughing every 5 minutes that would ruin the trance he was in, still would the natural world recall him back to the fantasies he was imagining. The bird song that whispered sweetly into his ears as the foliage of trees danced, crashing on each other like the sound of the ocean does on windy days. He spotted a rabbit running swiftly past him, and he followed it right into the forest grove where the creature dwelled.

The creature awoke to the sound of coughing gradually approaching outside. At first, it thought perhaps a new animal had now made its way into its grove. And so he slowly crept out of the cavern, the light blinding as he made his way out. As someone who doesn't like to be awoken when it comes unnaturally, he grunted and huffed his way out, a few times failing as he wished to go back to slumber. But his curiosity peaked more than his want of sleep.

Finally, after stepping into the front of the cavern, he stretched tremendously, looking around him to perceive the fascinating creature that had wandered into his abode. That is, until he looked down at a curious sight. All hair and round did appear, and shiny. But where was its mouth? Its eyes? Was it staring at him, or perhaps it was sleeping? He tapped the creature with its long nail, where the boy turned around, looking up to behold the face of the horned-black eyed creature standing mightily above him.

Immediately, both were petrified at each other's encounter, the boy simply standing there with wide-eyes with the creature staring back with the same expression upon its tarsier face, making his appearance more horrific than intended. Until the boy took one small step back, did he immediately begin sprinting, the same happened to the creature as it ran back to its cavern. But it only got so far that the boy had to stop and breathe. He coughed even more roughly now, and only got about 10 feet away from where the creature was where he turned to see if it chased after him. But to his surprise, he noticed the creature didn't, but quivered within his dark cave.

The way the creature covered itself as it hugged its legs, its head covered by its furred knees. It wept silently, and muttered incoherently to itself as if for reassurance. It curled itself into a ball, as if one small movement would leave him gravely wounded by some unknown divinity as punishment. The sight painted a sorrowful vision to the boy's eyes.

With apprehensive courage, he slowly approached the creature, the fallen leaves cracking under his boot each time he took a step. It was awfully silent, except for the persistence of the birdsong that continued to gently play within the forest with a butterfly landing gently at a daffodil in the grove. The boy extended out a hand, and slowly but ever so close was he to the creature.

When his hand made contact with the creature, his guard was still up, but his fear began to dissipate. The fur, although dirtied from years of toil, was as soft as cotton. He wasn't sure whether his action made things worse or not, but the creature froze after he felt the boy's touch. Slowly, the creature began uncurling itself, and looked up at the boy from the floor. The full black eyes reflecting onto the boy's face, and the creatures onto the boy's own black pupils. Despite the creature not understanding, it could tell the boy's calming voice from its tone.

The creature finally sat up, still tense but as calm as the boy was. He tried to speak more, but the creature only responded with a tilt of its head and a shy expression that seemed to still show the creature's guard. But within that time, it only stared at the boy's face, not only shy but excited that for once someone like the people from the town was talking to it. His complexion showed that he couldn't be no more than above 15 years, with a beauty mark just below the right eye.

Acknowledging the harmless presence of the creature, the boy finally smiled widely, fascinated now by this grand creature before him. He ran around him, inspecting every feature from his horns to the tail that swayed. The creature let it brush past the boy, letting it tickle the boy until he started laughing where a hoarse cough abruptly ruined it. The creature always grew startled by the sudden coughing, before returning its thoughts on the boy's innocent gaze.

It was coming to evening, but the sun was bright within the grove, warm enough to where for the first time the creature itself could feel its warmth. The buds were blooming from a nearby shrubbery where the white flowers began to bloom in bountiful waves. All in the grove the creature felt more at peace than when he was alone. And the boy too found his fair share of enjoyment with the creature in the grove.

Until evening began to settle, and the boy spoke in a sad tone and began walking away. The creature followed, but the boy held out a hand indicating to stay. It whimpered, and touching the boy's heart ran back with a gentle hug with a kind smile. Then, the boy opened his satchel from his side, and pulled out a horse made of wood. He offered it to the creature, curious as to what his actions meant, before the boy went on his way, leaving the creature alone with his first gift.